Calico skirts nestled amongst whistling prairie grasses. The warm glow of a snowy lamp post beckoning from a forest of fur coats. Red sand dunes, sweet cherry cordial, and bosom buddies. These are the memories of my childhood: countless hours cozied up under blankets, the scent of ink and paper tickling nostrils, and imagination soaring within the boundless scope of an author’s world.

The books may change as we grow older but the love doesn’t.

So for 2018, I have created a reading challenge: 52 books in 52 weeks. Fifty-two weeks of diverse genres and new reads. And I challenge YOU, my lovely readers, to participate along with me.

Is there anything better than seeing this subject line pop up in your email inbox? (Along with the knowledge that it’s not a scam – of course!)

For the past year and a half I’ve been sporadically entering online contests. Whenever I have a few moments of free time, I’ll boot up my computer and try to win a free cruise to Antarctica.

The payoff may not always be great but it’s a fun, and best of all, free hobby. From baby gear, to recipe books and crock-pots, cruises and guided tours, cars, electronics, and even cash prizes – there are thousands of online contests available if you know where to look and have a little spare time to enter them.

So before you dive into this new hobby, here are a few tips to get you started:

Some of my favourite childhood memories are the days spent browning on a lawn chair beside the lake, soaking up novel after novel. I used to dream of owning a “Beauty and the Beast” type library with swinging ladders and gleaming, spiral staircases – who needs a house, when you can nest happily amongst paperbacks?